One last time
by 24isthebest
Summary: One-shot. An hour before his wedding, Caspian gets a visit from an unexpected face from his past who reminds him love is not always fair, but it is always true. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on these two.


So this is my first Chronicles of Narnia fan-fic. I am usually a book purist, I must admit. But I saw the movie Prince Caspian, and fell in love with Caspian/Susan. I like that the romance was not highlighted. It left much more to the imagination, which means fan fiction!

I was in a really romantic mood when writing this, so enjoy!

To those who don't know me - I enjoy praise and critisicm, so please don't hesitate to give both. But remember, there is a fine line between critisicm and flaming.

Just for those quote fanatics, this quote was really on my mind when writing this one-shot. It is from "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Nora Zeale Hurston.

"Love ain't somethin' lak uh grindstone dat's de same thing everywhere and do de same thing tuh everything it touch. Love is lak de sea. It's uh movin' thing, but still and all, it takes its shape from de shore it meets, and it's different with every shore"

And on that note, on with the story!

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Susan quietly walked through the long corridors of the castle. She could not believe that Cair Paravel had been rebuilt. She had not thought that he would think it important to rebuild, but obviously she had thought wrong. She pulled her cloak further over her head to completely cover her face. The last thing she needed was to be recognized, especially on such an important day for the King. She went through the kitchen quarters to get to the royal halls where she knew the King would be. She brushed passed the cooks and attendants setting out the tables with various table settings. Everyone was so overwhelmed with joy over the upcoming nuptials that she was able to get to the King's quarters with great ease.

As she got to the hall, she could hear his laughter and a line of men coming out of a room that he must have been in. She waited until all the men had filed out before approaching his door. Pausing for just a few moments, she gathered her thoughts and prepared herself. This was the moment she had only dreamed of before now. She took a deep breath and took the plunge, opening the door quietly. Causing outside attention by knocking was not in line with staying inconspicuous.

She looked around the room and only saw a mirror and a few different cloaks draped over the chairs. She became dismayed. She could have sworn she heard his laughter coming from this room. Unfortunately, she did not have a moment to think out her next thought, as she then had a blade sharp against her neck. The cool of the blade made her shiver a bit, but not as much as the grasp he had on her.

"Reveal yourself stranger." He growled, keeping a fierce grasp on her front side and on the sword.

The fear she held in that moment dissipated as soon as she heard his voice. In a soft raspy tone, she merely replied one word. "Caspian." The sword was immediately dropped, making a resounding noise on the floor with a troublesome silence after.

Caspian's face grew white and pale. He could recognize that voice anywhere. "Queen Susan." She turned around, and let down the cloak to reveal the beautiful and radiant face that had only resided in his dreams for the past six years. It was as if every dream and prayer to Aslan had suddenly come true in a moment's time. It was too good to be true.

"My poor mind once again plays tricks on me." He murmured out loud. "My dear Susan, is it really you?" He reached out and touched her porcelain skin gently, as if she was some sort of delusion that would disappear as soon as he touched her. Instead, he felt the warmth of her skin. He let his fingers slowly run down her face to her neck. His cool fingers running down her neck made Susan sigh in contentment. His touch made her feel safe, and yet completely unsafe at the same time.

"It is I, dear King." Susan whispered back, afraid that any loud noises would disrupt the seemingly magical and unreal atmosphere they had created. Suddenly, a loud clatter was heard outside, and the two let go of their grasps on each other and jumped apart as if they had been burned. The noise died down and all that was left was once again the silence.

Susan was the first to break it. "Quite an exquisite wedding my King." She said, with a laugh. However, her rigid and uncomfortable posture betrayed her laugh.

Caspian, however, did not laugh back. "Susan," he said informally, "What in the world are you doing here?" She didn't answer. It was much too long a tale to tell. But she had to start somewhere.

"Aslan allowed me to return." A simple sentence that only sparked the King's curiosity.

" How long has it been in your world?" He asked, puzzled.

" A little over two years." He grew more puzzled.

" So why after two years would Aslan allow you to return? It has been six years here in Narnia." His confusion grew to frustration. The queen only seemed to be answering in short sentences, revealing nothing.

"Caspian," she started to explain, "When I left, I thought that I was never allowed to return."

"As did we all!" Caspian replied angrily. " And yet you are still here!"

Susan could hear the anger in his voice and suddenly grew defensive. "Caspian, would you prefer that I leave now?"

He took this moment to examine her. The two years in her world had only complimented her further. Her long chestnut locks were partially tied back, highlighting her beautiful face. She had grown a bit as well. He could not see through her cloak, but he could only imagine her long legs and womanly figure that made him lose all sense of propriety. But through all these changes, he noticed her eyes. They were still the same beautiful ocean blue he had fallen in love with. However, they now held a tinge of sadness in them, and he could only wonder if perhaps he was the cause of that.

"My queen, I shall ask you again." His voice took on a more formal tone. "Why are you here?"

Susan took a brave breath. "I am simply here to wish my dear friend a happy and holy matrimony." She could see nearly a million emotions play off his face, confusion and shock being the major ones. "I hear that your future bride is quite beautiful." She chocked back the resentment that lay in her heart, crying to be released.

Truthfully, beautiful was a word solely reserved for the woman in front of him. His future bride was amiable enough. "So I have heard as well." He knew she would be angry with his cryptic response. Instead, her face only showed remorse.

"I am sorry to bother you on such an important day." He could see the tears welling in the corner of her eyes as she spoke. "I shall leave you to your own now. I just…" she paused and regained composure only described as royal. "I needed to see you." And with that she turned towards the door.

She went to leave, and was only stopped by his hand on her arm. "Don't leave Susan."

"Why?" She said, turning around to show her tear filled eyes. "You are to be married, and I am to return to my world."

His heart broke into a million pieces as he let go of her arm and sank one of the chairs in the room. " I have often dreamed about what our reunion would be like, but never did I imagine that it would occur an hour before my wedding." Truthfully, he never dreamed of being married to any other woman other than Susan herself, but he discreetly left that fact out.

"Do you love her?" She asked calmly, with more dignity than he had ever seen. Only her majesty could ask such a personal question and make it seem dignified enough to present before the council and kingdom.

"Your majesty, I can not lie. I do not." He said, the truth of the fact in his eyes. He wanted to see happiness. He wanted to see her profess her undying love for him. Instead, he only saw disappointment in her eyes, and grew confused. "Are you upset that I do not love her?"

" Caspian, you have only made it that much harder for me to leave." She replied, looking at him with pained eyes that shook him to the core.

" Then don't leave!" He replied with a sudden enthusiasm. He jumped from the chair and grabbed her hands in his. "Dear queen, our affections for each other were not ambiguous when you left. And I can firmly say that my affections have not faltered since then." He looked in her eyes with love that he could never feel for any other woman. "Susan, stay with me. Be my wife and spend eternity next to me." He looked for a glimmer of hope in her eyes and only saw tears.

She looked at him ruefully and whispered in response. " Caspian, I am only to stay for another hour. Then I must return to my world." Not the answer the King had expected in the least.

" What?" He replied with a hint of anger and confusion. "If Aslan has allowed you to return to Narnia, why would he not allow you to stay? Only a cruel being would force your departure."

"Stop it Caspian." She said in a voice similar to a mother scolding her misbehaving child. "It was only by Aslan's grace that I am here in the first place."

"Then why the time limit?" he again asked impatiently.

Susan remained quiet, looking at the floor. "I was only given enough time to see you before your marriage." Suddenly it all hit him. Aslan was giving them time to say goodbye. Her tear streaked face said it all. She had not walked into the door with hope, but instead with the intention of giving him his heart back so he could in turn give it to another. And in the same way, she wanted her own heart back to give to a male in her own world. The idea completely repulsed him and made his blood boil.

" Am I simply a toy that you want to return Susan? Time to let me down easily and downplay our affections for each other?"

A tear rolled down her face. "Caspian, please stop."

" Do you come out of guilt dear queen for the man who once loved you?" She was suddenly stung by the past tense he spoke in. "Or did you honestly come with the intention of causing a complete raucous of my wedding as a way to toy with my own feelings?" His anger had amounted into an infinite outlet, and he could not control himself.

He finally took a moment to look at the queen. No longer was she standing in front of him with the courage of royalty. Instead, she was pressed against the wall, using it as a buttress, crying softly into her shoulder. Caspian looked at the woman he would always love and he had never felt more ashamed in his entire life. From the moment he met her, he promised himself that he would keep her out of harms way. Now, he was the cause of her pain, and his anger lessened as he walked over to her and cradled her in his arms, as they slid down to the floor in a seated position. She cried in his shoulder for what seemed an eternity that Caspian never wanted to end. It was then that all her resolve melted. The pact of being strong disintegrated as she melted into his arms, sobbing hysterically. Now, it was no longer his harsh words that surrounded her, but it was now his strong arms, drawing soothing circles on her back. She cried for them, and what they had been forced to become. She cried for what they could never be. His hands now trailed up her back, making their way to her hair, as he stroked her hair. His warm breath on her cheek and his soft touch in her hair made her feel safer than she had even felt before. Eventually, the tears stopped. The erratic breathing stopped. The shaking stopped. But his touch remained. It continued its soothing patterns long after. But like every moment, it had to end eventually.

She lifted her head from his shoulder and scooted away from him, looking at the floor while she spoke. "Aslan thought it would be important for us to meet one last time. He thinks that we should meet again and give each other the chance to love others."

He stopped breathing at the thought of even trying to not love her. Some may have called it an infatuation. But every moment she was not there made him love and want her more. And now that she was here, he still felt that ache in his chest to kiss her and never let her leave his sight again. He chose his words carefully. He could never feel this way about any other woman. "What do you think my dear queen?"

She looked at her cloak and dusted off a speck on the end of it, rising to her feet as Caspian followed her lead. She stepped closer to him and examined his wear. He had traded his tough exterior armor for a dress pant with a majestic velvet cloak fit for a King to be married. And even though his face had grown more manly and his features more adult, he was still the man she fell in love with two years again, and he was still the man she would love until the last breath left her body. She straightened his cloak out, rubbing the wrinkles that remained on his shoulder. "I believe, my king, that you should get married and continue to lead this kingdom with the success that we all know you are capable of." She smiled a wistful smile at his own turmoiled face. "Caspian, you are an incredible King and leader, and you are capable of much more than you will ever give yourself credit for. You will make your wife a happy woman, and you will be able to continue to lead your people with another counsel at your side."

"The only counsel I want at my side for eternity is you." There. He said it.

"That is not possible my King." Susan replied rationally.

"For once my queen, forget logic." He retorted. "What do you want?"

"I want you to be happy." She replied simply.

"My happiness will only come from you Susan." He replied earnestly. "I want to be married in the presence of my people with you walking towards me. I want to lead my people with you at my side. I want your consul, I want your company. I want your gentleness, and care, and compassion." He stopped short, grabbing her face in his hands. "I want you Susan. I don't care who knows, or what impression it gives. She and the kingdom will both understand if I don't show up to the wedding." Truthfully, everyone knew this wedding was out of obligation, most of all the bride and groom themselves.

She placed her forehead against his, mingling their breaths together until they were one entity, and there was nothing else. Pulling away, she whispered breathily to him. "I want nothing more than you as well." Joy sprung to his face so quickly he hardly had time to brace himself for the fall. "My love for you in insurmountable. But staying here is not possible." Pain once again entered his features.

"Narnia is no longer my world. My home is to be back where I came from. Even though my heart lies with you here, I can not stay."

"And nothing can be done to change your mind?"

She laughed. "Caspian. I want you to go meet your wife to be, and love her like you would me. Perhaps we will have more luck together in the next world, when we will meet again." She turned to leave, only to be stopped by his voice.

"Will you stay longer? I wish to have more time with you."

She turned around with a wise smile. "My love, we will always want more time together. It is best I leave now. People will begin to wonder what is taking you so long."

"Let them wonder." He replied, stepping closer towards her until she was a few inches away from them. "At least stay for the wedding." He looked at her face and quickly replied. "How am I to be married without your presence in attendance?"

She curved her beautiful mouth upwards. "How are you to be married if I am in attendance?" He was amazed at her ability to stay so calm and wise while he was rapidly falling apart. "Caspian, please forget me."

"That is not possible my queen."

"Try. It has not worked for me, but I will try every day until we meet again."

"My queen, then I must return something to you." He rummaged through his bag until he found his most treasured item. "I believe this item has been borrowed for much too long." It was her horn that she had given him long ago. Her eyes welled up with tears at the sight. She wanted to tell him to keep it. A selfish part of her wanted him to keep this memory of her, and wanted him to love her forever as she would love him. But she knew she had to give him every chance to love another. So she took the horn without any questions.

"Goodbye my King." She said, grabbing the handle to the door to exist swiftly, tucking the horn into her cloak.

"My queen, may your journey be safe." He said with a painful smile. She gave him one last smile before she left the room.

He knew that was the last time they would ever meet in this life. She would be married to another eventually, as he was to be in a few short minutes. However, he more importantly knew that their hearts would be intertwined forever, and their souls connected in the most unearthly way, that no man could comprehend. Love was a strange thing that he did not dare try to comprehend. He thanked Aslan immensely for the chance to see her before his earthly marriage. In another life, he would finally be able to be with the one his heart belonged to. He would wait an eternity for that day, no matter the consequences. Love knew no boundaries of worlds or time. Love acts on its own volition and rules, and it always had a way of finding those who kept faith in its power.

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